Simplon, << SIHM plon, >> Pass and Tunnel are important gateways through the Swiss Alps. Napoleon built a military road over the pass in the early 1800’s. The road begins at Brig in the Rhone Valley. It reaches an elevation of 6,592 feet (2,009 meters), then descends toward the Lake District of northern Italy. The Simplon Tunnel is one of the longest railroad tunnels in the world. It is 12.3 miles (19.8 kilometers) long, and has a maximum elevation of 2,312 feet (705 meters). It consists of two parallel tunnels. One tunnel was completed in 1906, and the other was completed in 1922.
